This current-generation 2 Series is on its last legs and is bound to be replaced by a new generation in about a year’s time. Which is sort of sad, as the next generation is likely the last generation of internal-combustion 2 Series. It’s like knowing the series finale of a show you love is coming up; you’re excited to see it but you also know it marks the end of something you love. So as nice as it is to see new spy photos of the next-gen 2er, it’s also a reminder that it’s the last of its kind. (We don’t own the spy photos but you can see them here)

These photos actually provide the best look of the next-gen 2 Series that we’ve seen thus far. They’re close and they’re clear, so even though the car is wearing a ton of camo, we can see most of its design. The specific model of this test mule seems to be an M240i (or whatever it ends up being called), due to its trapezoidal exhausts and sporty wheels. Pay no mind to the BMW M side mirrors, which are likely just there because BMW had some lying around for test mule duty.

Up front, we can clearly see the shape and size of the grilles through the camo and, thankfully, they’re perfectly sized. They’re a bit wider than the current car’s but are perfectly normal shaped kidney grilles and are breaths of fresh air. Just seeing them today brightened my day, knowing that BMW is going back to sensible grille designs. The headlights are a bit funky but I’ll take funky headlights if they mean a better grille.

The new 2 Series seems to feature smoother, crisper lines than the current model, much like the new 4 Series Coupe. Aside from the grille, the 4 Series Coupe is a great looking car, so this is no bad thing. Overall, the new 2 Series seems a bit lower and sleeker than the current car, which makes it look a bit sportier.

Out back, it’s hard to tell what the rear end looks like, as it’s heavily covered in camouflage. But we can see that it has a teeny tiny decklid spoiler, further cementing its M Performance nature.

So far so good, with this new 2 Series. It looks sporty, seems to be the right size, and, thank the Car Gods, has a great looking kidney grille design. We can’t wait to see this car in the flesh and, more importantly, drive it. Though, every time we drive it, we’re going to be a bit sad knowing it’s the final ride of the piston-engine 2 Series.

[Source: Motor1]